Conventional rear light vehicle assemblies utilize LEDs or halogen bulbs to illuminate a reverse light, a right and left turn light, a tail light and a brake light. The halogen light bulbs and LEDs are selected to provide a particular color such as a white light for a reverse signal, an amber light for right and left signals or a red light for a tail-light and a brake light.
In conventional tail-light assemblies that use halogen bulbs, three colored lights are required to produce a white light, an amber light and a red light. Alternatively, later vehicle models use colored LEDs to provide the required colors. LEDs have a longer useful life, conserve energy and are friendly to the environment. Also, by using colored LEDs, the necessity to have colored lenses is not required because the individual LEDs provide the required colors, namely white, amber and red.
A search of the prior art did not disclose literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related.
U.S. Pat. No.INVENTORISSUED6,533,445B1Rogers18 Mar. 20035,896,084Weiss et al20 Apr. 19995,567,036Theobald et al22 Oct. 1996
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,445 discloses a unitary multiple light assembly for motor vehicle trailers. The assembly uses different arrays of LEDs to illuminate a side marker light, a rear tail or brake light, and a license plate light. A license plate attaching bracket holds the license plate in a location in which individual LEDs in a light fixture can shine directly on the license plate.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,084 discloses a tail light assembly for a motor vehicle. The assembly includes a rear light, a brake light, and a turn signal light, wherein the rear light, the brake light, and the turn signal lights are comprised of LEDs. The assembly also includes a control device for operating the LEDs at a constant current for a given voltage range.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,036 discloses a side marker lamp that is used for truck/trailer combinations. The lamp utilizes LEDs that are mounted to a plurality of circuit boards. The circuit boards are mounted at predetermined angles relative to each other for directing light in at least three directions. A lens is placed in front the LEDs and includes a series of prism optics for spreading the light emitted from the LEDs into an arc of up to 180 degrees.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the search.
U.S. Pat. No.INVENTORISSUED6,095,663Pond et al1 Aug. 20005,150,959Paffrath et al29 Sep. 19921,887,087Frizner8 Nov. 19321,567,193Ritz-Woller29 Dec. 19251,526,868Petrovich17 Feb. 19251,513,300Vose28 Oct. 1924